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Thread: Introduction to Seaprog bands

  1. #1

    Introduction to Seaprog bands

    Seaprog is a new festival taking place at the Columbia City Theater in Seattle, WA on June 28th - 30th. Most people here are familiar with Thinking Plague, Moraine and miRthkon, but most of the rest of the bands and solo artists are likely to be unfamiliar to many.

    This thread is to help people get familiar with some very cool bands, even if you are not attending Seaprog... but really, we are hoping this will whet some appetites and get some more folks to make it out to Seattle in June.

    The Seaprog web site is here: www.seaprog.org, and tickets are now on sale.

    In a minute, I will post a short bio of one of the lesser known bands, and I'll post another profile every few days on this thread.

    Thanks for reading!

    John Reagan, with Dennis Rea and Jon Davis
    Seaprog organizers

  2. #2
    great idea, John
    And the code is a play, a play is a song, a song is a film, a film is a dance...

  3. #3
    Monkey Bat
    Seaprog at the Royal Room, Friday 6/28/2013 at 9 p.m.


    Our first profile is Seattle’s Monkey Bat.



    Monkey Bat has a way of making their complex songs seem to flow effortlessly from their talented hands. The band describes the music as exploring the space between many genres, including jazz, rock, and classical. The instrumental trio (Scott Lewis on acoustic guitar, Brian Todd on bass and Vern Lawton on drums) are “all in it, equally invested and committed to the process of composition.” Vern Lawton says, “As we settled into our musical comfort zones, the music became more complicated, more melodic, more intricate, and more difficult to execute; however, at the same time it became more comfortable, calmer, more groove-centered and more accessible to the listener... I have always said that the listener is a part of this band. It is very important to us that they can feel included.”

    Vern tells me that their first album, Springtime Love, will be mixed soon and, with any luck, will be available by the time of Seaprog. The band is working on a “really cool new song that is being written especially for Seaprog. It starts out in 19/8 then 9/8… well, you get the idea!”

    Listen to Monkey Bat: http://www.reverbnation.com/MonkeyBat

    Watch Monkey Bat on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/MonkeyBatMusic

    Monkey Bat website: http://monkeybat.net/

    Let us know what you think.

  4. #4

  5. #5
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Wow, they're great! I've been hit by the Monkey Bat! Very cool to hear prog coming from such a simple set up.

  6. #6
    Alex’s Hand
    Seaprog at Columbia City Theater on Sunday, 6/30/2013 at 4pm


    This is the second in a series introducing the bands playing at Seaprog (www.seaprog.org). We know most of the bands at the festival are not yet familiar to most folks, so this will give you a chance to find out more about the great Seaprog line-up. This is a profile of Alex’s Hand.



    Seattle’s Alex’s Hand describe themselves as “more of an ongoing musical experiment than a rock band.” After only two years together, they have completely reinvented themselves once already. After starting out as a three-piece band self-described as “an insane balls to the wall amalgam of punk rock and psychedelic blues,” they replaced their departing guitarist with two guitarists and added a keyboard player. They now have a more diverse avant-pop sound and credit an amazing list of influences: Charles Mingus, Stravinsky, The Residents, Henry Cow, The 5uu's , Zappa, The Melvins, The Kinks, Bungle, The Mars Volta and Pink Floyd. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see yet another different, evolving act when they hit the Seaprog stage in less than 3 months.

    Their quirky live shows seem to amaze and amuse local audiences and confound some in the local music press who can’t seem to wrap their heads around a mask-wearing band that twists and turns the rigid conventions of the Alt Rock scene. The AH fans know better.

    Listen to Alex’s Hand: http://alexshand.bandcamp.com

    Watch Alex’s Hand: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...=alex%27s+hand

    Alex’s Hand web site: https://www.facebook.com/alexshandband

    Let us know what you think.

    John Reagan with Dennis Rea and Jon Davis
    Seaprog organizers

  7. #7
    Zhongyu
    Seaprog at the Royal Room, Friday 6/28/2013 at 8 p.m.


    This is the third in a series introducing the bands playing at Seaprog (www.seaprog.org). We know that most of the bands at the festival are not yet familiar to most folks, so this will give you a chance to find out more about the great Seaprog lineup. This is a profile of Jon Davis’s Zhongyu.



    I’ve enjoyed Jon Davis’s improvisations on Soundcloud for some time now, and these improvs led directly to his new band Zhongyu. Jon explains: “I'm working on technique and something just starts sounding interesting, so I turn on the recorder and see what happens. At other times they come out of composing sessions, and may actually eventually become parts of composed pieces. While I think of myself primarily as a composer, I love the spontaneous aspect of music creation. The band came about after I had worked up a set of demo recordings I was happy with, and realized they totaled about 50 minutes.”

    Zhongyu (终于 in Mandarin Chinese, meaning "finally") is more of a band by concept than a particular group of musicians. The current lineup that will appear at Seaprog will include three members of Moraine and drummer Randy Doak. Jon originally started with the idea of “record(ing) an album with whatever musicians fit the tunes… I may bring in other players as the music and circumstances arise. I do have some pieces written that require cello, trumpet, and various Chinese instruments, and even some vocal pieces that may enter the Zhongyu banner at some point.”

    Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Zhongyu’s repertoire is Davis’s use of ideas drawn from Chinese traditional music, a fascination that arose during the time he spent living in China.

    With one show under their belts, Zhongyu is the newest band at Seaprog. They will be kicking off the festival on Friday night as the opening act at the free show at the Royal Room, half a block from the Columbia City Theater.

    Listen to Zhongyu: https://soundcloud.com/zhongyu

    Watch Zhongyu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waCxObQ_UM0

    Zhongyu web site: https://www.facebook.com/ZhongyuBand

    Let us know what you think.

    John Reagan with Dennis Rea and Jon Davis
    Seaprog organizers

  8. #8
    Operation ID
    Seaprog at Columbia City Theater on Saturday, 6/29/2013 at 7pm


    This is the fourth in a series introducing the bands playing at Seaprog (www.seaprog.org). We know most of the bands at the festival are not yet familiar to most folks, so this will give you a chance to find out more about the great Seaprog line-up. Our fourth profile is Seattle’s Operation ID.



    Is there such a thing as too many genres? Operation ID describe themselves as “Seattle’s (the world’s?) only minimalistic, avant-garde, electro-pop, noise-cluster, synth-rock, free-jazz, experimental, dance-prog band.”

    I asked Jared from Operation ID to tell me more about the band, and he said, “The biggest news is that we've been heads-down focusing hard on recording our second full-length album to be released on Table & Chairs Music late this summer. All the tracking is done and we are in the mixing phase. It's very exciting and it's going to be an awesome record!”

    Well, okay then! We will let the music speak for itself.

    Listen to Operation ID: http://store.opidmusic.com/album/trapped

    Watch Operation ID on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...y=Operation+ID

    Operation ID web site: http://www.opidmusic.com/

    Let us know what you think.

    John Reagan, with Dennis Rea and Jon Davis
    Seaprog organizers

  9. #9
    And while I have your attention! We've changed and expanded the ticket options:

    1. Weekend passes for the 8 main bands are now going for $60 each. The Friday night show and the small acts in the bar are still free.

    2. You can get single day passes for $35. You can also get single band tickets for $20 for the two headliners and $10 for any other band.

    3. In addition to PayPal, you can make payment by check or money order.

    Order your tickets here: http://www.seaprog.org/tickets.php

    Thanks! Come on out to Seattle and enjoy a great weekend of progressive music.

  10. #10
    Bone Cave Ballet
    Seaprog at Columbia City Theater, Saturday 6/29/2013 at 2 p.m.


    This is the fifth in a series introducing the bands playing at Seaprog (www.seaprog.org). We know most of the bands at the festival are not yet familiar to most folks, so this will give you a chance to find out more about the great Seaprog line-up. This profile introduces Seattle’s Bone Cave Ballet.



    Here’s a short email interview with Jacqui Gilroy from BCB:

    “What are we up to right now? We're promoting our new release, "Will of the Waves," which is due out Autumn 2013! We'll be putting out a single and a video on July 13 at (Seattle club) Barboza. We just got back from a West Coast mini-tour to kick off our promotional efforts.”

    How has the music evolved since the first album? “We've had lineup changes that have greatly improved the songwriting, both technically and aesthetically. Our new bassist, Brandon Bermudez, and guitarist, Jeff Blancato, bring with them great experience and ability and it really shows in the songs. The songs are more structurally sound while hanging onto our style of weaving intense melodies and mind-altering rhythmic changes. They just keep getting better, really.”

    What else is new this year? “Recording together, working on new material for the next LP release, our first tour with the new lineup, playing our first sets of pirate/busking shows with our battery-powered amps and suitcase drum kit (designed by Brandon Bermudez), playing the Planned Parenthood benefit, playing SEAPROG!, prepping to cover our first Yes song, gearing up to make our first video. All kinds of forward motion, doing what we love.”

    Listen to Bone Cave Ballet: http://www.bonecaveballet.com/listenbuy/

    Watch Bone Cave Ballet on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bonecaveballet/videos

    Bone Cave Ballet web site: http://www.bonecaveballet.com/

    Let us know what you think.

    John Reagan, with Dennis Rea and Jon Davis
    Seaprog organizers

  11. #11
    Jolanda
    Seaprog at the Royal Room, Friday 6/28/2013 at 10 p.m. (free show! Preceded by Zhongyu (8 p.m.) and Monkey Bat (9 p.m.))

    This is the sixth in a series introducing the bands playing at Seaprog. We know most of the bands at the festival are not yet familiar to most folks, so this will give you a chance to find out more about the great Seaprog lineup. This profile is of Italy’s Jolanda, aka She Owl.



    Jolanda’s inclusion in Seaprog is the result of a serendipitous triple booking with Moraine and Dino Haak Collective at Seattle’s Comet Tavern in 2011, at which the locals were blown away by the duo’s exquisitely wrought and played music. Overflowing with fire and colorful emotional shadows, Jolanda’s music has been described as “the works of a clock, of which you can perceive every single cogwheel moving.” Heartfelt and mindful, slightly different from everything you can expect – progressive, if you wish. Both of Jolanda’s albums, Aubade and Wintry Rains Wailing, have in common the search for something special, the curiosity and the desire that can make a song into a journey, a score into a treasure map.

    Jolanda’s Seaprog performance is going to be exceptional and somehow unique for Jolanda: You will hear new songs, newly arranged material, and sound and theatrical experiments from the stainless power-duo of Jolanda and longtime musical partner Demian, ready to play everything they will find onstage. Moreover, after 7 years spent recording and touring around Europe and the U.S. under the name given by her parents, Jolanda has chosen this occasion to spread her wings, change her name, and turn into She Owl. The new name and 10 new songs will appear on the duo’s upcoming full-length release, to be recorded in San Francisco in July. It’s your last chance to meet Jolanda in Seattle, and the first chance to hear She Owl’s night-songs: a little metamorphosis.

    Watch Jolanda on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG2_VekVLjI

    Jolanda web site: http://www.jjolanda.com/en/home.php

    Let us know what you think.

    Dennis Rea, with John Reagan and Jon Davis
    Seaprog organizers

  12. #12
    MORAINE
    Seaprog at the Columbia City Theater, Sunday 6/30/2013 at 7 p.m.

    This is the seventh in a series introducing the bands playing at Seaprog. We know that most of the bands at the festival are not yet familiar to many folks, so this will give you a chance to find out more about the great Seaprog lineup. This profile features Moraine.



    While still a well-kept secret in their hometown, Moraine is arguably Seattle's best-known quasi-progressive rock group, having appeared at the genre's showcase event, NEARfest, and garnered extensive airplay and hundreds of complimentary reviews worldwide. An "omnivorous" instrumental quintet led by guitarist Dennis Rea and featuring violinist Alicia DeJoie, woodwind player James DeJoie, bassist Kevin Millard, and drummer Tom Zgonc, Moraine presents a unique amalgam of art rock, forward-thinking jazz, world music, and more.

    The band has been enthusiastically received by audiences ranging from jazz aficionados to metalheads to progressive rock enthusiasts and has shared bills with such renowned artists as Three Friends (Gentle Giant), Steve Hackett, Eddie Jobson, and Richard Pinhas. Moraine created a buzz on its spring 2011 tour of major East Coast cities and in September of that year released its second CD, Metamorphic Rock: Live at NEARfest, co-produced and mixed by legendary Pacific Northwest producer Steve Fisk. A third CD will be released by MoonJune Records in 2014, and the band is currently planning a tour of Indonesia for fall of this year.

    For their Seaprog performance, Moraine will perform original pieces from throughout the band's history, with a focus on material developed over the past year. Moraine's set will also include some of their signature electrified adaptations of East Asian traditional music. Expect soaring melodic themes, precision ensemble playing, and uninhibited improvisatory flights in a style that is unique to Moraine.

    Watch Moraine on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rx8EgxHzz4

    Moraine web site: http://www.moraineband.com/

    Let us know what you think.

    Dennis Rea, with John Reagan and Jon Davis
    Seaprog organizers

  13. #13
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Nice group of bands. No feature yet for Dissonati? Of course, many here already know Dissonati, but I bet there are many here that have yet to here you guys.

  14. #14
    Hi Bill! I wrote most of these, but the last two were written by other members of the "Central Committee. I think we just haven't gotten around to Dissonati yet, or Bill Horist or Austenitic or Tone Dogs. I think they are still coming...

  15. #15
    On the eve of the festival, this is the last in a series introducing the bands playing at Seaprog. We know most of the bands at the festival are not yet familiar to most folks, so this will give you a chance to find out more about the great Seaprog lineup. This profile is of Seattle's Trimtab.



    Trimtab formed in 2001 in Minneapolis under the concept of Jason Goessl, who, inspired by the work and philosophy of R. Buckminster Fuller, realized a link between Fuller’s architecture and musical form and meter. With Goessl’s move west to Seattle, the second and current incarnation of Trimtab features Phil Cali on bass and Brian Oppel on drums.

    The music of Trimtab is difficult to sum up in a simple phrase or genre. The band’s compositions are sonic portmanteaus that meld philosophical and architectural concepts with classical, jazz, East Indian, African, and rock music styles. The unpredictability and complexity of their compositions is magnetic, generating a seemingly new listening experience with each performance. Varied meters create hypnotic tensions. Abrasive chordal and percussive expression mixed with gentler melodies and intense dynamic changes creates a unique gravitational pull. Whether listening to the arc of a Trimtab album or just a single composition, a development from compression, to tension, to visual, to abstract, to the electrical is evidenced.

    On their latest album, New Model, the combined synergy of Trimtab resembles one of Fuller's equilateral triangles - multiplied over and over, joining together, forming new surfaces and redefining the musical landscape. The band has been working out a new set for Seaprog and we predict that the audience will be blown away.

    Trimtab website: http://parlourtrick.com/artists/trimtab/
    View Trimtab performing live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM40EmMF9uk

  16. #16
    Open post....insert foot. mpoll's Avatar
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    Just found out that my work schedule will allow me to attend all 3 days! Looking forward to some GREAT music....starting tonight. Thanks to all the organizers!
    "Be Well... Prog On!"

    "The Progressive Tracks Show" on KPTZ 91.9 FM / KPTZ.org - Sundays at 5:00 AM and Mondays at 9:00 PM (Pacific Times)
    also on Progzilla Radio / Progzilla.com in the UK - Saturdays at 6:30 PM and Mondays at 2:30 PM (Pacific Times)

  17. #17
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Have a great weekend, everyone who's going and performing. I'm sure there'll be progging, drinking, wenching, and pillaging (not necessarily in that order) a plenty!

  18. #18
    I helped organize the fest because I was promised it would lead to wenching and pillaging.

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